Mop and method of making the same



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Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOP AND DIETHOD OFMAKING THE SAME 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to mops and method of making the same.

It is a well recognized fact that mops are constantly subjected towringings and friction in use, and consequently are comparativelyshort-lived, because of the frittering away of the mop material.

Ordinarily, the mop heads or mop swabs are constructed of a plurality ofseparate lengths of `yarn or cords of material of vegetable or animalorigin, such, for example, cotton or wool', formed into slubs or roves,and in some cases with the strands of slubs or roves corded. The strandsor cords are gathered together in closely grouped l relation, by meansof strips of tape or the like, fastened substantially midway between theends of the strands or cords. Usually such mop heads o-r mop swabs aremade with ends of the strands or cords free so that the severe use towhich such heads or swabs is subjected results in rapid frittering awayof the material.

It is an object of the present invention to provide mop heads or mopswabs having no free ended or cut end strands or cords.

Another object of the present invention is to provide mop heads or mopswabs having closed loop ended cords or strands.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mop headconsisting of grouped cords having closed looped ends.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a mop headhaving closed loop ended cords or strands and provided with means forlimiting the endwise stretch of such cords or strands.,

Another and yet further object of the present invention is to provide amop head which may be manufactured for sale at reasonable price, andwhich possesses enhanced wearing qualities.

Another and yet further object of the present invention is toprovide amop head fabric which may be manufactured in long lengths and from whichindividual mop heads may be severed to provide heads of any desiredweight.

The invention further contemplates, as an object, a mop head having aplurality of reversely laid looped strands of yarns or rovings twistedto form a plurality of cords, which are secured together centrally oftheloops, in closely grouped relation.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a mop headwherein the fraying or frittering away of the cord or strand materialincidental to constant wringing and scrubbing is prevented.

The invention has for an additional object, a method of making mop headshaving loop ended cords.

The above, other and further objects of the present invention will beapparent from the fol- 5 lowing description, accompanying drawings, andappended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodi-w ments of the presentinvention, and the views thereof are as follows: Y

Figure 1 is a fragmental plan view of several cords and also showingreversely laid, untwisted' strands for forming vother cordsV inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of an'end portion of a l5 cord showing thelooped ends of the strands constituting such cord, as separated to moreclearly illustrate such ends.

Figure 3 is a plan. view of a mop'head fabric constructed in accordancewith the principles of 20. the present invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmental plan view of several cords of the fabric of thepresent invention and illustrating one method of making such cords, andis illustrated, for clearness, with the binding 25 or tape removed.

Figure 5 is an end elevational view of a mop head or mop swab asconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmental enlarged sectional 30 View, taken transverselythrough a mop head or swab constructed in accordance with the principlesof the present invention, with the section taken lengthwise of thebinding material and showing a three-ply mop head. 5

The drawings will now be explained.

The Vmop head fabric, of the present invention, Yis formed by aplurality of reversely laid groups of associated strands formed intocords and with the loops of said'strands constituting 40 the margins ofthe fabric structure and the ends of the cords; The strands are fastenedtogether, substantially midway of the length thereof,V by tape which maybe suitably stitched or otherwise fastened to the strands or cords. Thefabric may be made in any convenient lengths, and then individual mopheads or mop swabs may be cut from such fabric to provide mop heads ofany desired weight or length.

The mop head fabric, of the present invention, is formed by continuouslong lengths of twisted associated strands arranged symmetrically withrespect to a me-dian line. Three such strands are herein shown, but itis to be understood that more strands may be utilized if desired.

The twisted strands are constrained along the median line of the loops,which constraint may be temporary, while the initially looped strandsare being twisted, whereupon a permanent binding or tape is thenstitched to the twisted loops, or may be permanent, from the beginning,by stitching binding or tape to the strands between the ends of theloops.

After the looped strands have been constrained along the median line, ineither temporary or permanent manner, the loops are twisted by anysuitable means, into cords having closed looped ends defining themargins of the fabric. The means illustrated herein for twisting theloops, consists of a pin or hook 6 adapted t-o engage a loop of thestrands, and then be spun or suitably twisted to twist the loops intocords.

Arranging the strands as loops results in the formation of cords, alongeach side of the median line, wherein a cord on one side of the line istwisted from strands forming portions or continuations of two adjacentcords on the opposite side of the line. K

Referring to Figure 1, a completed cord l0 is shown on one side of thetape A, and two completed cords 20 and 40 on the opposite side of thetape. Adjacent the cord l0 are untwisted looped strands 3, 4 and 5,occupying the position B. These strands are continued across the medianline and looped in a similar manner on the opposite side of the medianline, adjacent the cord 40, in position C. The strands are thuscontinued again across the median line in the opposite direction to formloops in the position D. There is thus providedy a series of reverselylaid loops of such extent as to furnish a fabric of desired length, theformation of the reversely laid loops being continued as far as desired,in extent.

The looped strands are constrained or bound together along the medianline, and the several loops on the opposite sides of the median linetwisted to form cords.

The reversely looped arrangement of the associated strands, results intheV formation of a. cord on one side of the median line by strandswhich are continuations of the strands of two adjacent cords ori theother side of the median line and substantially opposite from said onecord. That is to say, the looped strands in the position B, when twistedinto a cord 30 constitute continuations of the strands forming the cord40 and the strands in the position C. The strandsin the position C whentwisted into a cord constitute a cord 60. The cord 6U, formed bytwisting the strands in position C, include strands from position B, andstrands from the position D. The strands in the position D when twistedform. a cord 50. This manner of arrangement of the strands, in reverselylaid relationship with respect to a median line, may be carried onrepeatedly until a fabric of desired length is attained.

' The cord 20 is twisted from a loop which includes the free end of thestrand, which free end is secured by the tape A. A portion of the strandconstituting the loop 20 is continued across the median line and formsthe cord l0. The cord 4B is twisted from strands, some of which arecontinuations of the strands in the cord l0 and some of which arecontinuations of the strands in the position B, cord 30.

The method of manufacturing the mop heads or swabs of the presentinvention comprises, generally, arranging a plurality of strands of yarnor rovings in loops, reversely laid or disposed with respect to a medianline, and symmetrical with respect to the median line, and then twistingthe several loops to form cords.

'I'he method also contemplates the formation of a plurality of strandsof material into a plurality of looped strands extending in oppositedirections from a median line, twisting the loops so formed into cords,and stitching or otherwise securing tape, or the like, along such medianline.

In order to prevent undue endwise stretch of the several cords, the samemay be reinforced in any suitable manner. One manner of preventingsubstantial endwise stretch of the cords, is illustrated herein, and asillustrated, contemplates spirally winding one of the strands, such, forexample, as the strand 5 with a reinforcement which is comparativelyless extensible than the yarn or rovings. Such reinforcement might, forinstance, be twine 1. When the spirally wound strand 5 is twisted intocords, the reinforcing element 'l thus becomes interlaced in thecompleted cords,as may be readily observed in Figures 1, 2 and 4 of thedrawings.

When the cords of such a mop head or swab are subjected to endwisestretch, by wringing, the presence of the reinforcing element 'I willprevent undue stretch to a point where frittering away of the cordmaterial is prevented. In this manner,

for retainingrthe cords in Vgrouped relationship,

as heretofore described.

The several plies are retained in lapped position by further binding ortape Il which is applied about the lapped plies of the fabric and havingone end I2 secured, as by stitching to prevent opening. Preferably thebinding Il is stitched through the several plies of the head.

A mop head may, of course, be fashioned of more or fewer number of pliesthan three as illustrated in Figure 6.

' It will be observed that the present invention contemplates theformation of a mop head by the utilization of long lengths of associatedstrands of material which are reversely laid with respect to a medionline to form loops, and with the loops twisted to form twisted cordswith closed looped ends. The construction is such that, except as tocertain of the cords at the ends of the fabric, the cords on one side ofthe median line or tape are fashioned from continuations of cords on theopposite side of the median line or tape.

'Ihe length of the associated strands of material utilized may be aslong as desired, to provide a mop fabric from which pieces may be cut toform individual mop heads. The invention also contemplates themanufacture of mop head pieces, of appropriate length, for individualmop heads, as well as the manufacture of a long fabric from which theindividual heads may be cut.

It will be observed that the present invention provides a mop headhaving cords with closed looped ends as the extremities of the moppingfabric, so that the cords have no free ends which may readilydisintegrate and fritter away from wringing or use.

One method of making the mop fabric of the present invention comprisesthe provision of a swinging arm arranged to carry the associated strandsback and forth across a median line, thus forming the looped strands oneach side of the median line. As the arm is swung toward its limit ofmovement in either direction, a rearward movement is imparted to it tobring the strands at the median line closely together. The tape isstitched to the strands, along the median line, as the loops are beingfashioned. While the arm is swinging away from the median line, to forma loop on that side of the line, the loop previously formed on the otherside of the line is being twisted into a closed loop cord. That is tosay,- while, on one side of the median line, the strands are beingformed into a loop, the looped strands on the opposite side of themedian line, just formed, are being twisted into cords. This cycle ofmovement is carried out until a fabric of desired length is made.

It will be understood that mop fabric made in accordance with myinvention may be variously made up into various constructions and typesof mop' heads adapted for specific uses, such as dust mops, oil mops,wax mops and the like.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and I therefore, do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by theprior art.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. The method of making a mop head having closed loop ended cords, whichcomprises the steps of arranging a plurality of strands of yarn orrovings in loops reversely disposed with respect to a median line andwith the loops substantially symmetrical with respect to said medianline, securing said looped strands along the median line, and twistingthe several stranded loops on the opposite sides of the median line toform cords.

2. A method of making a mop head having loop ended cords, whichcomprises the steps of looping a plurality of strands of yarn or rovingssymmetrically with respect to a median line, twisting the several loopedstrands to form cords, and securing said cords along the median line.

3. A method of making a mop head which comprises the formation of aplurality of strands into a series of loops, stitching a binding to theseries of looped strands at points substantially midway from the loopedends thereof, and twisting the looped strands to form a series of cordsall attaohed to the binding.

4. A method of making a mop head which coinprises spirally winding a mopstrand with material less stretchable than the strand, forming aplurality of strands of material including said one strand into aplurality of loops extending in opposite directions from a median line,constraining said loops at points remote from the looped ends thereof,then twisting said loops between the points of constraint and the loopedends to form closed loop ended cords.

5. The method of making a mop head which comprises reversely looping aplurality of associated strands, securing together the intermediateportions of said looped strands and twisting said looped portions intocords, again reversely looping a continuation of said strands from thelast formed loop, securing together the intermediate portions andtwisting the loops thus formed into cords and repeating the steps toform a continuous mop head strip.

6. A mop head comprising a continuous length of grouped or associatedstrands, successive lengths of said strands being reversely looped andtwisted to form cords extending in opposite directions from a medianline, a co-rd on one side of said median line consisting ofcontinuations of two adjacent cords on the opposite sides of said medianline, and binding material joining said cords along said median line.

7. A mop head comprising a plurality of grouped continuous strandsreversely looped with respect to a median line and arranged with thestrands in a loop on one side of the median line as continuations of thestrands of a two adjacent loops on the opposite side of the median line,said loops being twisted forming loop ended cords, and binding materialjoining said cords along the median line.

8. A mop head construction including a plurality of closed loops, everyloop being twisted together and forming a cord,

9. A mop head construction comprising a plurality of lengths of strandmaterial looped to form closed ends, said looped strands twistedtogether in groups of three to form twisted cords having closed ends.

HARRY I. KLAWANS.

